Take Two! McDonald’s Spotlight Dorado Short Film Contest Returns

McDonald’s USA continues to pave the way for Latinos on the golden screen with the return of Spotlight Dorado. The short film contest is one of the ways in which the Golden Arches aims to use its scale to empower and amplify the voices of Latino talent, especially in areas where the community is underrepresented.

This year, McDonald’s is casting Anthony Ramos, Grammy®-winning artist, Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominated actor, to take on a new role as a program mentor, joining a roster of film industry leaders including the award-winning writer, producer, director and actress, Gloria Calderón Kellett. Together, they will work to empower and guide three new Spotlight Dorado finalists as they go through the filmmaking process. The emerging filmmakers will also be awarded a production budget of $75,000 each to build their stories from the ground up, getting them closer to making their cinematic dreams come true.

“After more than a decade navigating my own career, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be for creatives from underrepresented communities to get the support and resources needed to jumpstart their careers,” said Anthony Ramos, who will soon be seen starring in the next installment of Transformers: Rise of The Beasts, out this June. “Through Spotlight Dorado, McDonald’s is helping drive much-needed change in the industry. I’m so excited to be a Spotlight Dorado partner and help make a difference for Latinos to get their stories funded, produced, and told.”

Today, Latinos make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population and are a driving force in countless industries, including media and entertainment. While Latinos are avid moviegoers (24%)[1], their stories are often overlooked and currently make up only about 1% of those told by Hollywood[2]. Bridging this gap is key to helping shift the narrative about the Latino experience in the U.S., and fostering new voices and perspectives is one of the first steps toward driving industry change.

All U.S.-based Latino writers, producers, directors, aspiring filmmakers or creatives with a great story to share are invited to submit their screenplays to the Spotlight Dorado short film contest at www.spotlightdorado.com for the chance to be selected as one of three finalists to be awarded $75,000 to produce their films. Submissions are due on April 28, 2023 and are free of charge regardless of age, experience, or professional background.